Luggage handling apparatus for railway cars



Sept. 19, 1950 F. L. MURPHY ETAL LUGGAGE HANDLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARS File' d March 2, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l ran Sept. 19, 1950 v F. L. MURPHY ETAL 2,522,686

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Sept. 19, 1950 F. L. MURPHY ETAL v LUGGAGE HANDLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed March 2. 1945 midi Patented Sept. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LUGGAGE HANDLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARS corporation of Delaware Application March 2, 1945, Serial No. 580,512

24 Claims. 1

This invention relates to railway passenger cars and has for its primary purpose the provision of an arrangement for handling the baggage of passengers whereby such baggage may be loaded and unloaded in a more expeditious manner without interfering with the passage of the passengers through the vestibule as they enter and leave the cars.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a luggage handling arrangement whereby the baggage of passengers may be loaded and unloaded adjacent to but entirely independently of the car vestibule and enablin the simultaneous and undelayed entrance and exit of the passengers to and from the car through the vestibule.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a luggage compartment in the overhead zone of the car, accessible from the interior of the car, with controlled means for automatically loading and unloading the compartment, accessible from the exterior of the car.

A particular object of the invention lies in the provision of a luggage compartment in the car having a conveyor for loading and unloading baggage and associated with a chute communicating with the exterior of the car.

Another object of the invention includes a luggage compartment in the overhead zone of the car having conveyor mechanism for loading and unloading baggage accessible from outside at either side of the car.

A still further object of the invention provides a luggage compartment in the roof zone of the car having a conveyor mechanism at each side for loading and unloading baggage and accessible from the respective sides of the car with access means to the compartment between the conveyors from inside the car.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the construction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a general side elevational view of a portion of a railway car equipped with the luggage compartment and loading arrangement of this invention showing in dotted lines the disposition of the storage compartment in the overhead zone of the car, above a general washroom and adjacent to the vestibule end, with baggage indicated on the continuous conveyor belts running between the rearmost part of the compartment and loading doors in the side walls adjacent the vestibule side doors;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View of the car taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 through the loading chutes, showing the disposition of the con veyors in the overhead luggage compartment with the individual motors for driving them and the relation of the conveyors to the respective loading and unloading chutes with the sliding doors for closing the chute openings;

Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view of the luggage compartment taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and showing the luggage compartment in relation to the general washroom therebeneath and revealing the relationship of the multiple conveyors in the compartment to the respective chute openings for loading and unloading the conveyors, with the interior access openings to the compartment between the conveyor mechanisms located in the ceiling over the general Washroom;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional View through one of the loading and unloading chutes showing the relation thereof between the associated conveyor mechanism and the upper portion of the side wall of the car with the sliding door for closing the chute opening;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view to larger scale of the supporting track and conveyor belt mechanism showing the conveyor belt comprised of reinforced belting mounted in the continuous track by means of rollers and driven through the medium of sprockets;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the supporting track and conveyor arrangement illustrated in Fig. 5 and showing the construction of y the track with the conveyor belt reinforced by spaced-apart slats extending across the Width thereof, each of which is provided at opposite ends with projecting cogs with alternate cogs equipped with rollers engaged in the continuous track for supporting the conveyor throughout its extent and permitting continuous movement thereof in operation with the driving connection shown in engagement with the cogs and mounted in bearings carried by brackets supporting the track;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary detail view similar to Fig. 5 of another type of conveyor construction consisting of a plurality of transversely disposed slats, alternate members of which are provided at respectively opposite ends with rollers engaged in continuous supporting tracks and all of which are operatively connected together by means of a sprocket chain driven by sprockets mounted upon a shaft carried in supporting brackets for the continuous tracks; and

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional View of the conveyor belt construction illustrated in Fig. 7 and show- 3 ing the individual cross slats as supported in the continuous track and including end bracket members adapted to be secured to the slats and provided with means for connection with the sprocket chain and affording driving relation with the driving sprocket.

Heretofore it has been the customary practice at terminals and intervening points in discharging passengers and unloading luggage to utilize the vestibule for the handling of both, and in so doing the luggage of passengers leaving the train was placed in the vestibule prior to reaching their destination, thus blocking the passageway and necessitating the porters first completing the unloading of the luggage through the vestibule side door while the passengers wait in the aisle and before they can begin to make their exit from the car. This congestion and the inconveniences resulting therefrom are avoided in the present invention by the provision of a separate luggage compartment loaded and unloaded independently of the vestibule but having loading and unloading means adjacent to the vestibule side door whereby the passenger may be relieved of his luggage as he enters the car and have it handed to him immediately upon leaving at his destination.

The invention contemplates a luggage compartment in the overhead zone of the car adjacent to the vestibule end having mechanical loading devices in the form of continuous conveyors extending the length of the compartment at each side and communicating with loading and unloading chutes opening to the opposite sides of the car adjacent the respective vestibule side doors whereby the passengers luggage may be loaded and unloaded conveniently as he enters and leaves the car and having means affording access to the conveyor devices and the luggage compartment from the interior of the car independently of the aisle passageway, thereby to avoid interference with the use of the aisle by passengers entering and leaving the car during loading and unloading operations and whereby the passengers may have their luggage available en route. The conveyors are driven individually by motors having controls accessible either from insidethe compartment or from the chute openings at either side of the car whereby these devices may be operated to start or be stopped from any one of these positions.

In the drawings It] represents a railway car supported upon trucks II and having a floor l2, side walls l3 and I4 and a roof I 5 with a vestibule |6 at one end of the car The car is provided with windows I! and may be a coach, chair car or equipped with any of the various types of accommodations utilized in passenger travel. The floor plan of the car illustrated is such that a room I8 is provided adjacent the vestibule end of the car, which may be a general washroom or a lounge or the like and which is disposed at one side of the car to define a side aisle I 9 at the opposite side. The side aisle extends the length of the room l8 adjacent the side wall I3 and communicates with a central passageway at the end of the car and with a passenger compartment 28 disposed at the other end of the room l8. Partition 2|, enclosing a space adjoining the room l8 and which may be a toilet communicating with suchroom, defines one side of the central passageway and locker 22, as best shown in Fig. 2, defines the width of the passageway at the other side. End door 23 located in the body end wall 24 affords communication between the central passageway 20 and the vestibule [6. The

vestibule includes a passageway between adjoining cars (not shown) and two-part side doors 25 at the respective sides affording means of access to and exit from the interior of the car. Folding step assemblies 26 streamlined to the contour of the car sides are disposed instep wells associated with the side door openings and folding trap doors 2'! are adapted to cover these stepwells to provide a full width platform in the vestibule when the car is in service.

A compartment 30 for the storage of passengers luggage is located in the overhead zone of the car and disposed immediately adjacent the end area of the car next to the vestibule and the bottom of the compartment is formed by a ceiling 3| extending over the general washroom IS, the adjoining toilet 2|, the passageway 20 and the aisle l9. That end of the compartment adjacent the passenger space 28 is defined by a partition 32 which in the arrangement illustrated is coincident with the wall enclosing that end of the room I8. The opposite end of the compartment is defined by the bulkhead 24 separating the car body interior from the vestibule and the width of the compartment is defined by longitudinally extending partitions 33 disposed in parallel spaced relation to the respective side walls l3 and i4. These longitudinal partitions are of the full height of the compartment, from the bottom wall 3| to the roof structure, and extend continuously from the inner end wall 32 to a point short of the end bulkhead 24 where they are each curved about a corner 34 and extend at an angle to the main plane of the partitions to the respective side Walls l3 and It as at 35, and best shown in Fig. 3.

As best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the sloping end portions 35 of the respective longitudinal partitions are disposed to terminate coincident with chutes 4|], opening through the bottom wall 3| of the storage compartment adjacent to the end bulkhead 24 and extending through the respective side walls |3 and M, through which luggage for storage in the compartment is adapted to be loaded and unloaded and serve to guide such luggage during the process of insertin the luggage and removing it from the compartment. The chutes at opposite sides of the compartment are identical and each includes a sloping surface 3| extending at its uppermost point from a position 42 above the level of the bottom wall 3| at a downward slope through openings 43 in the respective side walls l3 and I4. One side wall 44 of the chute extends downwardly from the bottom wall 3| and the other side of the chute is formed by the end bulkhead wall 24 whereby the chute provides a fully enclosed passage from the compartment 30 through the adjoining side wall of the car and the sloping end portions 35 of the longitudinal partitions forming the sides of the luggage compartment act as guide walls to and from the chutes. The openings 43 in the side walls are closed by sliding doors t5 supported in tracks 46 at the top of the openings by means of rollers M and which are received in pockets 48 in the side walls when. it is desired to load or unload baggage through the openings.

It will be noted that the chute openings 43 are disposed immediately adjacent to the vestibule side door openings 25 whereby to afford the greatest convenience in relieving the passengers of their luggage as they enter the car and again in returning it to them as they leave the car at their destination. The doors are locked in closed position by means of locking mechanism 49 which may be released from the interior of the car when it is desired to utilize the chutes, whereupon the doors may be slid into the pockets 48 by parties loading the baggage or receivin baggage being unloaded. The chutes 40 are each provided with a resilient stop 50 disposed on the sloping surfaces 4| across the inner side of openings 43 adjacent the position of the sliding doors to provide a ledge against which luggage may be rested during loading and unloading operations. The stop comprises a block of rubber across the width of the chute retained by a threshold plate 5| extending across the door opening.

In order to move luggage being loaded through the chutes 40 to a storage position at the rear of the compartment 30 and to move luggage from the storage position to the chutes during unloading operations, the luggage compartment is provided with conveyor mechanisms 55 associated with each of the chutes 40 and which operate individually in conjunction with the respective chutes at one side or the other. Each of the conveyor mechanisms associated with the respective chutes comprises a continuous multiple conveyor belt extending from the chutes to the far end of the luggage compartment at the inner end wall 32 and is operable in either direction to carry luggage away from the chutes or to unload luggage into the chutes. Each multiple conveyor belt mechanism includes a relatively wide conveyor belt 56 running continuously between the inner end wall 32 of the compartment and a position adjacent the sloping guide walls 35 at the inner side 44 of the baggage chutes and a relatively narrow conveyor belt 51 runnin continuously between the inner end wall 32 of the compartment and the bulkhead end wall 24 at the opposite end thereof and operating coincidentally in the movement of baggage to and from the chutes.

The conveyor belt mechanism are disposed adjacent to and paralleling the respective longitudinal side walls 33 of the compartment and are mounted for movement in continuous supporting tracks 58 disposed at opposite sides of the respective belts 56 and 51 and supported from the bottom wall 3| by means of flanged brackets 59 disposed at spaced intervals along the length of the respective tracks to which they are secured by welding and having their base flanges riveted in position on the wall 3| to maintain the tracks in rigid supporting relation with respect to the belts. The tracks 58 each comprise a channel shaped member in the form of a continuous loop and having the flanges disposed horizontally. These channel shaped members are arranged in pairs, disposed respectively at opposite sides of each of the belts 5B and 51 and with their flanges facing inwardly in spaced opposing relation to receive roller mechanism supporting the belts in the tracks for continuous movement. The tracks are supported in spaced relation from the bottom wall 3| of the compartment by means of the brackets 59, and the outermost flange of the channel shaped track is offset entirely about the perimeter of the loop, as at B0, to provide a raceway for the operation of the roller mechanism supporting the belts.

The conveyor belts 56 and '51 are in the form of continuous traveling belts operating in the supporting raceways, and in respect to the specific construction thereof may be either of the type shown in Figs. 5 and 6 or that illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, both of which comprise flexible structures adapted for operation in a continuous loop. The conveyor belt construction of Figs. 5 and 6 utilizes canvas belting 6| to lend continuity to the supporting surfaces of the conveyor and this flexible belting is rigidified transversely by means of slats 62 extending across the width of the respective belts and disposed at longitudinally spaced intervals throughout the length of the belts. These slats as shown are of wood and arranged in closely spaced relation whereby to provide a rigid surface for the support of luggage placed thereon but affording the flexibility necessary to the turning back upon itself of the belt as it travels about the looped ends of the sup: porting tracks. The utmost flexibilit is afforded in the traveling belts since the canvas belting 6| comprises the sole means connecting all of the slats to provide a continuous belt. Each of the slats 62 is provided at respectively opposite ends with a bracket 63 secured thereto and including a sprocket tooth 64 extending beyond the lateral edge of the belt so that each of the belts 5'6 and 51 is provided at opposite sides with a series of regularly spaced sprocket teeth throughout its length for driving connection with driving means hereinafter to be described.

Alternate sprocket teeth 64 on each belt are formed to receive rollers 65 rotatably mounted upon trunnions 66 integral with the sprocket teeth and projecting axially therefrom and by means of which the individual belts 56 and 51 are mounted in their respective pairs of associated tracks 58 for rolling movement in either direction. The rollers are retained on the trunnions by means of washers 61 which may be secured in place by peening over the projecting ends of the trunnions, as at B8 and as best shown in Fig. 6, the rollers operate in the raceways 60 in the sup-- porting tracks to provide rolling support for the traveling belts throughout their extent} By providing supporting rollers upon opposite ends of alternate slats 52, all supported by and operating in the associated tracks 58, transverse supports for the belts are afforded at longitudinal intervals spaced sufliciently close to avoid any possibility of the belts sagging therebetween and with the intervening rigidifying slats provides a moving platform capable of traveling in either direction and adapted to receive and support luggage placed thereon through the chute 40 and to move such luggage into and out of the compartment in such manner as to provide a rigid conveyor surface operating freely without jamming.

The traveling conveyor belts 56 and 5'! comprising each conveyor mechanism 55 associated with the respective loading chutes 40 are both operated as a unit and the respective mechanisms at opposite sides of the luggage compartment are operated independently of each other with means for controlling the operation of each in either direction from the particular side Wall opening 43 through which the conveyor is loaded or unloaded or from inside the compartment 30. The

conveyor mechanisms are each provided with their own operating means powered by electric motors for automatic operation and which are of a reversible type for operation of the conveyors in either direction. Each conveyor is equipped with a reversible electric motor 70 mounted upon the bottom wall 3| in the compartment 30 adjacent the inner end wall 32 and between the two conveyor mechanisms. The two motors 10 for driving the respective conveyor mechanisms are disposed side by side with their axes extending longitudinally and. are each drivingly connected 7, with the respectively.associatedconiieyor bolts :55 and .5? comprising each conveyor by means :of rightangle drive connections 7 l .all asbest shown in. Fig.3. The right angle drives rotate drive sh fts "1:12 which are mounted in bearings 13 at the radial point of the loop in the supportin traokWays 55 at the inner end ofthe compartment. The bearings 73 are mounted in the track supporting brackets 59 at opposite sides of the respective conveyors and are provided with bushings i l in which the shafts rotate. These sha fts extend the full width of each conveyor through the two associated belts 55 and and are each provided with a series of four sprockets 15 mounted upon the shafts in spaced relation such as to be disposed in the same vertical planes with the sprocket teeth 64 at respectively onposite sides of the two belts and with which the sprockets are adapted to mesh in driving relation to operate both belts simultaneously, in either direction as the driving motor therefor is energized to operate in one direction or the other.

The electric motors 75 may be operated by current obtained f om any suitable sou ce Of power such as the regular car lighting system and their operation is controlled by means of start and stop buttons which control the operation of the motorsin either direction. This control of the motors and the operation of the conveyors may be exercised from the chute openings 43 in the sidewalls or from inside the compartment 3% by means of control buttons l6 located on the car side wall adjacent the openings 43 and normally concealed b the sliding doors 45 but accessible when such doors are open or by .means of control buttons Ti located on the end wall 32 in the compartment 30. At this latter position two sets of controls are provided for controlling the respective conveyor mechanisms individually and the controls at the respective chute openings control only the operation of the conveyor associated with the particular chute. It will. readily be understood that operation of the electric driving motors in one direction or the other will function to actuate the associated conveyor belts 56 and 5? simultaneously to cause them to travel toward or away from the chutes 40 whereby to provide a readily controlled arrangement for automatically loading and unloading luggage in the overhead compartment 30.

As best shown in Figs. Zand 4 it will be seen that the conveyor mechanisms 55 as a whole are inclined toward the side walls 33 of the luggage compartment so that the loading surface afforded by the associated belts 56 and 5'! at each side of the compartment slopes in the direction of the adjacent side wall whereby in operation lug: gage placed on the conveyors tends to gravitate in that direction where it is maintained on the conveyors by the guiding action of the side wall and thus avoids the possibility of falling off of the conveyors into the center space therebetweem In the actual operation of the arrangement in service, as the car enters a station to take on passengers an attendant in the car releases the latch 49 looking the loading chute door, on the side of the carwhere the baggage is to be loaded, whereupon the sliding door 45 may be moved to its.

position in the pocket 48, thus opening'the chute 40 and revealing the start and stop buttons 16 for controlling the electric motor III to operate the conveyor 55 in the direction desired. The attendant baggage may then insert the first piece of luggageintothe-loading chute and slide it onto that portion of the conveyor belt 51' extending across the uppermostlinner end' of Ithachute and .thefi raisethat end of the luggage nearest him toplace it .on the conveyor belt. 56 at the sideof the chute, to be transferred to'the inner portions of the lug-- gage compartment. 30 by the operation of the conveyor mechanism. Additional pieces of luggage may be loaded in this manner until the full capacityof the conveyor is reached.

Unloading is accomplished by starting the conveyormechanism by means of the control 16 to operate in a direction moving toward the chute whereupon the luggage'thereon as it passes beyond the end of the conveyor belt 55 drops into the chute, since the relatively narrow conveyor belt 51 is so designed as to support less than :half the length of anypiece of. luggage that might be stored in the compartment, and consequently as the luggage continues on the belt 57 to a point where the support of the belt 56 is no longer available, the luggage tilts into .the chute and slides down thesurface 4| until it contacts the stop 50 from where the attendant may remove it from the car. This operation may be periormedcontinuously and continues until the last piece of lu age has been removed from the storage compartment Disposition ofv the conveyors 55 at the sides of the compartment 30 as described spaces them apart sufficiently to accommodate the driving motors l0 therebetween and further afiordsspace for an opening through the bottom wall -3| by means of which access is had to the storage compartment from inside the car. The opening is disposed over the room l8 from which access is had to the compartment and is closed bymeans of downwardly swinging hinged doors Bl secured by latches 8'2. Itv is by means of this access opening that an attendant. in the car may obtain the luggage of passengers as they request it, and at the, time the luggage is being loaded from either side of the car the attendant may arrange the luggage or transfer it from one side of the compartmentto the other as required or .dispose it in the order of destinations at which it is to be unloaded and upon that side of the car-from which it will be unloadedin the order in which the destinations will be reached. When the amount of luggagebeing loaded exceeds the storage capacity of the'conveyor on that side through which it is received, the attendantcmay transfer some of the luggage to. the conveyor at the opposite side whereby to increase the capacity of the arrangement to 'stowsthe'luggage and permitting the. storage of luggage from one side of the car orutheother'to the full capacity of'the storage compartment as represented by both conveyors.

'The conveyor belt construction illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 functions like the belt arrangement of Figs. 5 and "6 but is driven through the medium of and the various slat elements connected for coincidental operation by means of a sprocket chain. The belt as a whole operates on roller 65 mounted upon opposite ends of each alternate slat and supported in tracks 58 precisely as in the previously described arrangement. The rollers rotate upon trunnions '66 and are held in place by washers 61 secured by peening overthe end'of the trunnions, as at 68. 'Raceways 6 accommodate the rollers in the supporting tracks which are adapted for mounting upon the bottom wall 3| of the luggage compartment 35 by means of the upstanding brackets 59. The slats in this construction are adapted directly and are so formed and disposed in such closely spaced relation as to provide a continuousisupporting surface. As best shown in Fig. 7, the slats are wider at the top to provide the closely spaced condition aifording substantial continuity in the supporting surface and taper toward the bottom where they are secured to the end brackets and which provides for the necessary relative movement between the slats in traversing the curve of the end loops of the track in which they operate.

The end brackets 81 of this construction differ from the corresponding members of the arrangement first described in that they constitute a functional part of the individual slats in addition to that of affording a driving connection. The end brackets on each slat, as best shown in Fig. 8, are so formed as to provide a continuation at each end of the respective slats of the top supporting surface of the wooden slat portion 85 therebetween, thus serving to lengthen the slat and thereby to increase the effective width of the conveyor belt to the maximum distance between the supporting brackets 58. The brackets 81 are offset upwardly from their bottom connection with the slats to provide a surface flush with the surface of the slats 85 and on the underside of the brackets within this offset portion, depending angle brackets 88 are secured in laterally spaced relation to provide a means of suspension for pins 89 extending between and supported in the angle brackets. Two of the pins 89 are mounted in each pair of associated angle brackets 88 on each end member and spaced equidistant from the longitudinal center of the slat upon which they are mounted as shown in Fig. '7 and providing, when considering the conveyor belt as a whole, a series of equally spaced driving pins throughout the length of the belt. The angle brackets 88 on adjoining end brackets 81 are disposed in overlapping relation and the pins 89 pass through the overlapped angle brackets to serve as pivotal connections between adjoining slat members 85 whereby to function as a chain in operatively connecting all of the slat members for movement in unison and permitting flexing of the belt as it traverses the end loops in the supporting track 58. This flexible connection between the various slats comprising the conveyor belt, formed by the suspension brackets 88 in themselves, is complemented by a series of connecting links 99' mounted upon the pivot pins 89 midway between the suspension brackets and forming a continuous flexible chain connecting all of the end bracket members 81. This connecting structure is duplicated at opposite ends of the slats so that the conveyor belt is operatively connected together at both sides throughout its length for coincidental movement of all its parts in either direction.

The connecting pins 89 serve the further function of acting as sprocket teeth in the operation of the conveyor. The conveyor belt in this arrangement, like that first described, is actuated by means of a motor driven shaft 12 rotating in bushings 14 mounted in bearings 13 on the track supporting brackets 58. This shaft, in the area of each of the end brackets 81, is provided with a pair of sprockets 9| mounted upon the shaft and engageable with the pins 89 in the areas between the connecting chain links 90 and the respective suspension brackets 88 to drive the conveyor belt either forward or reverse and it will be seen that by providing such driving connections at opposite sides of each belt the driving forces will be applied equally at opp site ends of the slat members so that their proper alignment is maintained during operation and any possibility of the individual slats becoming displaced is avoided and the smooth rolling operation of the belts in the tracks 58 assured.

From the foregoing it willbeseen that a luggage loading, storage and unloading apparatus for railway passenger cars has been provided wherein luggage is loaded and unloaded from outside the car adjacent to the vestibule entrance and stowed in a compartment located in an overhead zone of the car, with power actuated conveyors for loading and unloading the compartment and having means of access to the compartment from inside the car with means for controlling the operation of the conveyors either from inside the compartment or from either side of the car from which the particular conveyor is being loaded or unloaded.

What is claimed is i 1. In a railway passenger car including side walls and a ceiling and having a vestibule including side doors, a luggage loading and storage arrangement including a luggage compartment disposed horizontally and located in the area between said side walls above said ceiling, loading openings through said side walls adjacent to said side doors, and means for conveying luggage from adjacent said openings into the inner portions of said compartment.

2. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a ceiling, a luggage storage arrangement for the car including a luggage compartment disposed horizontally and located in the area between said side walls above said ceiling, openings in the side walls communicating with the compartment, and means for conveying luggage from adjacent said openings into the inner portions of said compartment.

3. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a ceiling, a luggage storage compart-' ment disposed horizontally and located in the area between said side walls above the ceiling, an opening in one of the side walls, an unloading chute between said compartment and said opening, and conveyor mechanism for moving lugage from the compartment into said chute.

4. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a ceiling, a luggage storage compartment disposed horizontally and located in the area between said side walls above the ceiling, an opening in one of the side walls, and conveyor mechanism in said compartment for moving luggage between the inner portions of the compartment and adjacent said opening.

5. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a ceiling, a luggage storage compartment disposed horizontally and located in the area between said sidewalls above the ceiling, an opening in one of the side walls, a chute extending between the compartment and said opening, and conveyor mechanism for moving luggage between said chute and the inner portions of the compartment.

6. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a ceiling, a luggage storage compartment disposed horizontally and located in the area between said side walls above th ceiling, an opening in one of the side walls, a chute extending between the compartment and said opening, a door for closing said opening, and means for locking said door releasable from inside the car.

7. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a ceiling, a luggage storage compartment disposed horizontally and located in the area be- 11 tweensaid side walls above the ceiling, an opening in one of the side walls, a door for closing said opening, conveyor mechanism for moving luggage between the inner portions-of said compartment and adjacent said opening, driving means for operating said conveyor mechanism,

and control means for controlling the actuation of said driving means from said opening, said control means normally being covered by said door when the door is closed and exposed when the door is opened.

8; In a railway passenger car having side walls and" a ceiling, a luggage storage compartment disposed horizontally and located in the area between said side walls above the ceiling, an opening in one of the side walls affording access to the compartment from the side of thecar, an opening through said ceiling affording access to the compartment from inside the car, conveyor mechanism for moving luggage between the inner portions of said compartment and adjacent said first opening, driving means for operating said conveyor mechanism, and control means for controlling the actuation of said driving means either from said first opening or from the second named opening.

9; In arailway passenger car having side walls and a roof zone, a luggage storage compartment located in the roof zone between the car side walls, said compartment having abottom wall and side walls in planes spaced respectively from the car side walls, a chuteat each side of the'compartment extending between the respective sidewalls thereof and openings'provided in the respectively adjacent car sidewalls, doors in the car side wall openingsclosing said chutes, said chutes each being located adjacent to an end of the luggage compartment, separate conveyor mechanisms in the compartment located adjacent the respective side walls for moving luggage between the inner portions of the compartment and said chutes, individual driving means located between the con,- veyor mechanisms and operatively connected with the respective mechanisms, an access opening to said compartment located in the bottom wall thereof between said mechanisms, and means for controlling the operation of said driving means independently of each other, said control means for each driving means being actuated either from the respective openings in the car side walls or from said access opening in the compartment and said control means at the car side wall openings normally being concealed when the doors arev closed and exposed for actuation when the doors are opened.

10. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a roof zone, a vestibule at one end of the car including side doors through which access is had to the car, a luggage. storage com partment located in the root zone between the car side walls and adjacent to said vestibule, said compartment having a bottom wall and side walls in planes spaced respectively from the car side walls, a chute at each side of the compartment extending between the respective side walls thereof and openings provided in the respectively adjacent car side walls, said openings in the car side walls being located respectively adjacent to said vestibule side doors, doors in the car side.

Wall openings closing said chutes, means for looking said doors, separate conveyor mechanisms in the compartment located adjacent the respective side walls for moving luggage between the inner portions of the compartment and said chutes, individual driving means located between the con- 12 veyor mechanisms and operatively connected with the respective mechanisms, an access opening to said compartment'located in the bottom wall thereof between said mechanisms, and means for controlling the operation of said driving means independently of each other, said control means for each drivingmeans being actuated either from the respective openings in the car side walls or from said access opening in the compartment and said control means'at the car side wall openings normally being concealed when the doors are closed and exposed for actuation when the doors are opened.

11. In a railway passenger car having side walls anda roof zone, a luggage storage compartment located in the roof zone, said compartment having a bottom wall and side walls in planes spaced respectively from the car side Walls, a chute at each side of the compartment extending between the respective side walls thereof and openings provided in the respectively adjacent car side walls, doors inthe car side. wall openings closing said chutes, separate conveyor: mechanisms in the compartment adjacent the respective side walls for moving luggage between the inner portions of the compartment and said chutes, individual driving means operatively connected with the re spective conveyor mechanisms, and means for controlling the operationof said. driving means independently of each other, said control means for each driving'meansbeing actuated from the respective openings in. the car side walls and normally being concealed when the doors are closed and exposed for actuation when the doors are opened.

12-. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a roof zone, a, luggage storage compartment located in the roof zone, said compartment havinga bottom. wall and side walls. in planes spaced respectively from. the car side walls, a chute at each side ofthe compartment extending between the respective side walls thereof and openings provided in the respectively adjacent. car side walls, doors in the car side wall openingsclosing said chutes, conveyor mechanism in the compartment for moving luggage between the inner portions of the-compartmentand said chutes, driving means operatively connected with the conveyor mechanism, and means for controlling the operation of said driving means, said control means being actuated from the openings in the car side walls and normally concealed when said doors are. closed and exposed for actuation when the doors are opened.

13. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a root zone, a luggage storage compartment located in the roof zone, said compartment having a :bottom wall and side walls in planes spaced respectively from the car side. walls, a chute at each side of the. compartment extending between the respective side walls thereof and openings provided in th respectively adjacent car side walls, removable means closing said chutes, separate conveyor mechanisms in the compartment adjacent the respective side walls for moving luggage between the inner portions of the compartment and said chutes, individual driving means operatively connected with the respective conveyor mechanisms, and means for controlling the operation of said driving means independently of each other.

14. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a roof zone, a, luggage compartment in the roof zone disposed horizontally and extending substantially between said side. walls,-

loading openings in the side walls, said compartment having a bottom wall, a chute at each side of the compartment opening through said bottom wall and communicating with said loading opening through th respective side walls of the car, removable means closing said chutes, conveyor mechanism in the compartment for moving luggage between the inner portions of the compartment and said chutes, driving means operatively connected with the conveyor mechanism, and means for controlling the operation of said driving means.

15. In a railway passenger car having sid walls and a roof zone, a luggage compartment in the roof zone disposed horizontally and extending substantially between said side walls, loading openings in the side walls communicating with said compartment, separate conveyor mechanisms in the compartment operating adjacent to the respective loading openings for moving luggage into th inner portions of the compartment, individual driving means operatively connected with the conveyor mechanisms, and means for controlling the operation of each driving means independently of the other.

16. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a roof zone, a luggage compartment in the roof zone disposed horizontally and extending substantially between said side walls, loading openings in the side walls communicating with the compartment, separate conveyor mechanisms spaced apart in the compartment and located adjacent to the respective loading openings for moving luggage into the inner portions of the compartment, said compartment having a bottom wall, an opening in the bottom wall affording access to the compartment between said mechanisms, individual driving means operatively connected with the conveyor mechanisms, and means for controlling the operation of each driving means independently of the other.

17. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a roof zone, a luggage compartment in the roof zone disposed horizontally and extending substantiall between said side walls, a loading opening in one of the side walls communicating with the compartment, conveyor mechanism operating between said opening and the inner portions of said compartment, driving means operatively connected with the conveyor mechanism, and means for controlling the operation of said driving means.

18. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a roof zone, a luggage compartment in the roof zone disposed horizontally and extending substantially between said side walls, a loading opening in one of the side walls aflording access to the compartment from outside the car, said compartment having a bottom wall, an opening in said bottom wall affording access to the compartment from inside the car, and conveyor mechanism operating to move luggage from adjacent said loading opening into the inner portions of said compartment, said mechanism being operable to move luggage from the compartment to the loading opening.

19. In a railway passenger car having side walls and a roof zone, a vestibule at one end of the car including a, side door afiording access to the car, a luggage compartment in the roof zone disposed horizontally and extending substantialy between said side walls adjacent to said vestibule, a loading opening in one of the side walls affording access to the compartment from the side of the car adjacent to said vestibule side door, and conveyor mechanism operating to move luggage from adjacent said loading opening into the inner portions of said compartment.

20. In a luggage storing arrangement for vehicles, a vehicl having side walls and a roof zone, a ceiling in the vehicle, a luggage storage compartment in said roof zone located in the area between said side walls above the ceiling, an opening in one of said side walls communicating with said compartment for the loading and unloading of luggage exteriorly of said vehicle, and an opening to said compartment through said ceiling whereby luggage may be loaded or unloaded from the compartment or shifted relative to said first-named opening from inside said vehicle.

21. In a vehicle having side walls and a roof zone, a ceiling in the vehicle, an entrance to the vehicle through one of said side walls, a partition in the vehicle spaced from one of said side walls defining a passageway, a luggage storage arrangement for the vehicle comprising a compartment in said roof zone located in the area between said side walls above the ceiling, an opening in one of said side walls adjacent to said entrance communicating with said compartment for th loading and unloading of luggage exteriorly of the vehicle, and an opening to said compartment through said ceiling whereby luggage may .be loaded or unloaded from the compartment or shifted relative to said firstnamed opening from inside the vehicle, said partition separating said opening through the ceiling from said passageway.

22. In a vehicle having side walls and a roof zone, a vestibule at one end of the vehicle separated from the interior thereof by a body end wall and having an entrance through each of said side walls, a passageway entrance in the end wall, a compartment in the vehicle adjacent to that end adjoining the vestibule, a passageway at one side of said compartment adjacent one of said side walls and communicating with the entrance in said end wall, a ceiling in the vehicle, a luggage storage arrangement for the vehicle comprising a compartment in said roof zone located in the area between said side walls and above the ceiling, an opening in each of said side walls adjacent to the respective vestibule entrances communicating with said compartment for the loading and unloading of luggage from outside the vehicle, and an opening to the compartment through said ceiling whereby luggage may be loaded or unloaded from the compartment or shifted relative to the first-named opening from inside the vehicle, said opening through the ceiling-being disposed within confines of said compartment.

23. In a railway passenger car having side and end walls and a, passenger entrance, a luggage compartment in said car having its greatest dimension disposed horizontally and extending adjacent at least to one of said walls, a loading and unloading opening in said one wall separate from the passenger entrance and communicating with the compartment, and conveyor mechanism mounted in the compartment for moving luggage horizontally into the inner portions of said compartment.

24. In a luggage storing arrangement for vehicles, a vehicle having a side wall and a ceiling, a luggage storage compartment located above the ceiling, an openin in said side wall communicating with said compartment from exteriorly of the vehicle, and an opening in said cell- 15 ing communicating with the compartment from the interior of saidvehicle.

FRANK L, MURPHY. FRANK A. VANDER LINDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 16 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date McCord Apr. 22, 1930 Fitch May 19, 1936 McDonald Oct. 8, 1940 Ragsdale June 2, 1942 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,522,686 September 19, 1950 FRANK L. MURPHY ET AL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 4, line 49, for the reference numeral 31 read 41; column 7, line 73, before the Word baggage insert loading;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of November, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

